Over 200 Indian peacekeepers deployed with the UN mission in South Sudan have been awarded the prestigious UN medal for their exceptional service. The UN Mission in Sudan, UNMISS, in a social media post today informed that 210 Indian peacekeepers, including 6 women and 7 Staff Officers, were awarded the UN Medal for their exceptional service in Juba, South Sudan. The Mission called it a proud moment for India’s Blue Helmets. It added that through crises, medical emergencies and lifesaving missions, the courage and compassion of the Indian peacekeepers continue to protect lives and advance peace.
India is the second-largest contributor of uniformed personnel to UN Peacekeeping. It currently contributes more than 4,200 military and police personnel, including 155 women to UN peace operations in various countries. These include Abyei, the Central African Republic, Cyprus, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Lebanon, the Middle East, Somalia, South Sudan and Western Sahara. As of April this year, India was the top troop contributor to UNMISS, with 1,775 Indian military personnel deployed with the UN mission.
